More new container cranes for Bremerhaven

The EUROGATE container terminal in Bremerhaven is getting ready for a new generation of large ships (in excess of 10,000 TEUs) which are set to berth in increasing numbers at the Bremerhaven Stromkaje container pier. On Saturday, 5 April 2008 EUROGATE will take delivery of four of a total of five new, modern container cranes which are able to span 22 container rows on the deck of a ship. The giants are expected to reach the Stromkaje container pier tomorrow at around 2 p.m. The fifth container crane will be delivered in May.

These deliveries are part of investments being made by the EUROGATE Group to expand its terminal facilities. The neighbouring terminal, MSC Gate, took receipt of the same delivery from China in December 2007 and February 2008. The EUROGATE Tanger container terminal in Morocco which is currently under construction received its first delivery of five container cranes from China on 31 March.

The coming years will see a major increase in the number of container vessels with a cargo capacity in excess of 10,000 TEUs at our quayages, says Emanuel Schiffer, Chairman of the EUROGATE Group Management Board. As a container terminal operator and service provider for our customers, the shipping lines, we need to adapt to this situation and equip our terminals accordingly. This will not only ensure that we are set for the future but will also mean that we remain highly competitive.

Each container crane weighs around 2,000 t, has a waterside outreach of 62.5 m and a lifting capacity of 97 tonnes when fully extended. They feature hatch cover stowage area in the back reach area. This saves space, facilitates handling and boosts productivity. The container cranes have a 12-week journey behind them on the transport vessel ZHEN HUA 8. They left Shanghai at the beginning of January and sailed across the Indian Ocean, passing Madagascar and the southern tip of South Africa on their way to the North Sea.

Source: Transportweekly